**Disclaimer**Because the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of the Congo (RC) were frequently group together in terms of news and research studies, I decided a bit of research about the DRC would help to illuminate current migration trends of the RC.
Trends in DRC:
Crackdown on Illegal Immigrants:
The Congo-Brazzaville government has started a major crackdown on illegal DRC immigrants in the Republic of the Congo. There have been countless reports of physical and sexual abuse and manhandling of these migrants. The illegal DRC migrants are rounded up and made to wait to be deported. Oftentimes, these conditions are a breeding ground for diseases like malaria and malnutrition.
According to World Politics Review, in April 2014, 130,000 DRC migrants were sent back to DRC. When the DRC migrants are sent back to their home country, most are living like refugees and have absolutely nothing waiting for them back in DRC. They fear no jobs and no way to circumvent poverty. The DRC government in return complains it doesn’t have ample supplies to accommodate its growing population. There is also a fierce competition for jobs in the DRC’s weak economy.
The Congo river, which separates the two countries, is not well guarded, leading to high rates of illegal immigration.
The RC is rich in oil resources (it makes up 90% of its exports), has a smaller population (4.6 vs. 80 million in DRC) and is more stable when compared to the DRC.
Migrants from DNC in RC pick up mainly jobs in informal work (car driving, domestic work, garbage collection) or the sex trade. Migrants from DRC make up the largest number of immigrants in RC. According to Al-Jazeera, violent ethnic and government infighting in DRC in 2010 caused a mass flood of DRC immigrants to the RC. The UNHCR spokesperson in Congo-Brazzaville said they were overwhelmed and facing an emergency situation.
Urbanization in Republic of the Congo:
Citations:
Adow, Mohammed. “Refugees Flee Congo-Brazzaville.” Al-Jazeera. Al- Jazeera Media Network, 16 February 2010. Web. 7 September 2016.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2010/02/201021610587716372.html
Kevin, Nzoussi Hilaire, Li Jiang Feng, Koua Stephen Faller, Mabiala Koyo Grace, Mouele Mboungou Patrick Joe Stivell1, Naoueyama Corine Elsa. “The Issue of Residential Mobility in the Congo; Case of the City of Brazzaville.” Science and Education Publishing. Science and Education Publishing, 8 October 2014. Web. 7 September 2016.
http://pubs.sciepub.com/education/2/10/9/
Klion, David. “Why the Republic of Congo Has Sent Tens of Thousands of Migrants Back to DRC.” World Politics Review. World Politics Review, 21 July 2014. Web. 6 September 2016.
http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-lines/13941/why-the-republic-of-congo-has-sent-tens-of-thousands-of-migrants-back-to-drc
Flahaux, Marie-Laurence and Bruno Schoumaker. “Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Migration History Marked by Crises and Restrictions.” The Migration Policy Institute. The Migration Policy Institute, 20 April 2016. Web. 8 September
2016.
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/democratic-republic-congo-migration-history-marked-crises-and-restrictions
Trends in DRC:
- Political unrest, economic slumps, civil conflicts and wars have killed and displaced millions.
- The DRC was once an attractive country for immigration, but now its general trend is emigration to other countries in the vicinity, such as Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania (1990). A disproportionate number of women make up the emigration trend.
- The DRC is a target of immigration for refugees. Many people from the upper classes in the DRC have left the DRC to immigrate to either Europe, the US or other Westernized countries, never to return to DRC. The most popular country in Europe by far in terms of immigration is France.
- The Belgians historically colonized the DRC. After its independence from Belgium in 1960, the DRC encountered violent throes of power struggles and corrupt governments.
- DRC attracted refugees in the aftermath of the 1994-1995 Rwandan genocide.
- There is also an Asian presence in DRC because of the country’s natural resources (mainly mining).
- Even today, significant emigration and political and economic uncertainty exists.
- In 2010, ethnic fighting (composed mainly of government vs. ethnic groups) in DRC lead to a flow of refugees to the Republic of the Congo, also referred to as Congo-Brazzaville.
- There are also violent disputes over natural resources.
Crackdown on Illegal Immigrants:
The Congo-Brazzaville government has started a major crackdown on illegal DRC immigrants in the Republic of the Congo. There have been countless reports of physical and sexual abuse and manhandling of these migrants. The illegal DRC migrants are rounded up and made to wait to be deported. Oftentimes, these conditions are a breeding ground for diseases like malaria and malnutrition.
According to World Politics Review, in April 2014, 130,000 DRC migrants were sent back to DRC. When the DRC migrants are sent back to their home country, most are living like refugees and have absolutely nothing waiting for them back in DRC. They fear no jobs and no way to circumvent poverty. The DRC government in return complains it doesn’t have ample supplies to accommodate its growing population. There is also a fierce competition for jobs in the DRC’s weak economy.
The Congo river, which separates the two countries, is not well guarded, leading to high rates of illegal immigration.
The RC is rich in oil resources (it makes up 90% of its exports), has a smaller population (4.6 vs. 80 million in DRC) and is more stable when compared to the DRC.
Migrants from DNC in RC pick up mainly jobs in informal work (car driving, domestic work, garbage collection) or the sex trade. Migrants from DRC make up the largest number of immigrants in RC. According to Al-Jazeera, violent ethnic and government infighting in DRC in 2010 caused a mass flood of DRC immigrants to the RC. The UNHCR spokesperson in Congo-Brazzaville said they were overwhelmed and facing an emergency situation.
Urbanization in Republic of the Congo:
- Trend of urbanization is present in RC. Many people are moving from rural areas to cities.
- This can be a problem because of the country’s high population growth.
- Poorer migrants also move towards urban centers, creating slums because there is not enough money or resources.
- Cities are typically divided into wealthy areas and poor slums.
- Since the wealthy can afford better housing, the poorer people are pushed into less developed areas.
- Building policies (such as supplies being used or rent payment) are not managed well. As a results, many houses in slums are not built according to standards. Many tenets also don’t have a reliable paycheck, so conflict sometimes arises with landlords.
Citations:
Adow, Mohammed. “Refugees Flee Congo-Brazzaville.” Al-Jazeera. Al- Jazeera Media Network, 16 February 2010. Web. 7 September 2016.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2010/02/201021610587716372.html
Kevin, Nzoussi Hilaire, Li Jiang Feng, Koua Stephen Faller, Mabiala Koyo Grace, Mouele Mboungou Patrick Joe Stivell1, Naoueyama Corine Elsa. “The Issue of Residential Mobility in the Congo; Case of the City of Brazzaville.” Science and Education Publishing. Science and Education Publishing, 8 October 2014. Web. 7 September 2016.
http://pubs.sciepub.com/education/2/10/9/
Klion, David. “Why the Republic of Congo Has Sent Tens of Thousands of Migrants Back to DRC.” World Politics Review. World Politics Review, 21 July 2014. Web. 6 September 2016.
http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-lines/13941/why-the-republic-of-congo-has-sent-tens-of-thousands-of-migrants-back-to-drc
Flahaux, Marie-Laurence and Bruno Schoumaker. “Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Migration History Marked by Crises and Restrictions.” The Migration Policy Institute. The Migration Policy Institute, 20 April 2016. Web. 8 September
2016.
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/democratic-republic-congo-migration-history-marked-crises-and-restrictions